Method and Apparatus for Fabricating Functional Staple Fiber

ABSTRACT

A method for fabricating functional staple fiber is disclosed. A non-woven fabric substrate is provided. A metal layer or a metal oxide layer is sputtered on the surface of the non-woven fabric to obtain a complex fabric. The complex fabric is carded and becomes a plurality of functional staple fibers. An apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber is also disclosed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Taiwan Application Serial Number 101134955, filed Sep. 24, 2012, which is herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a textile method and apparatus thereof.

2. Description of Related Art

Along with technique development, fabrics have been spread into applications other than clothing. And the fabrics are required to more than keep warming and have fashionable appearances. Industries intend to combine the fabrics with different fields of techniques to obtain a value-added fabric with additional functions, so as to expand the usage field of the fabrics.

For example, with the advance in the living quality of human, demands for the value-added and functional fabrics has kept raising, such as those capable of absorbing moisture, repelling water, breathable, comfortable, and thermally insulative. There is a need to improve the fabricating efficiency and enlarge the application filed of the functional fabric.

SUMMARY

An aspect of the invention provides a method for fabricating functional staple fiber. The method includes providing a non-woven fabric substrate, sputtering at least one metal layer or at least one metal oxide layer on the non-woven fabric substrate to obtain a complex fabric, and carding the complex fabric to transform the complex fabric into a plurality of functional staple fibers.

The method for fabricating functional staple fiber optionally includes blending the functional staple fibers with a plurality of base fibers for obtaining a functional yarn. A length of the functional staple fibers is less than 500 mm. A material of the metal layer can be selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof. A material of the metal oxide layer can be selected from the group consisting of oxide of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof. The least one metal layer or the least one metal oxide layer can be sputtered on a single surface of the non-woven fabric substrate. The least one metal layer or the least one metal oxide layer can be sputtered on opposite surfaces of the non-woven fabric substrate.

Another aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber. The apparatus includes a conveying device for conveying a non-woven fabric substrate, a sputtering device for sputtering at least one metal layer or at least one metal oxide layer on the non-woven fabric substrate to obtain a complex fabric, and a carding device for carding the complex fabric to transform the complex fabric into a plurality of functional staple fibers.

The apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber optionally includes a blending device for blending the functional staple fibers with a plurality of base fibers to obtain a functional yarn. A length of the functional staple fibers is less than 500 mm. A material of the metal layer can be selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof. A material of the metal oxide layer is selected from the group consisting of oxide of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof. The least one metal layer or the least one metal oxide layer can be sputtered on a single surface of the non-woven fabric substrate. The least one metal layer or the least one metal oxide layer can be sputtered on opposite surfaces of the non-woven fabric substrate.

The metal layer or the metal oxide layer is sputtered on the non-woven fabric substrate. The metal layer or the metal oxide layer made by sputtering process may have well film adhering ability and would not cause to environment pollution because of free of using chemical agent. The non-woven fabric substrate adhered with the metal layer or the metal oxide layer is carded to obtain functional staple fibers. The functional staple fibers can be optionally blended with the base fibers to obtain the functional yarn, which can be further woven to obtain functional fabric. The composition of the functional yarn can be selected according to the end product thereby increasing the utilization fields and product yield of the functional fabric.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of different steps of an embodiment of a method for fabricating functional staple fibers of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of different steps of another embodiment of a method for fabricating functional staple fibers of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

The present disclosure provides a method for fabricating functional fibers. The metal particles or metal oxide particles with antibacterial function are coated on a non-woven fabric substrate by a sputtering process to obtain a complex fabric. Then the complex fabric is carded to become a plurality of functional staple fibers. The functional staple fibers can be further blended with other base fibers according to requirements of final product thereby obtaining a functional yarn. The functional yarn can be further woven as a functional fabric, such that the application field of the functional staple fibers can be widen.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of different steps of an embodiment of a method for fabricating functional staple fibers of the invention. Step S10 is to provides a non-woven fabric substrate 100. The non-woven fabric is a fabric made by pressing or adhering fiber materials. The non-woven fabric can be made of one or multiple kinds of fibers. The non-woven fabric substrate 100 can be made of cotton, flax, coconut fiber, wool, camel hair, rabbit hair, silk, asbestos fiber, graphitic fiber, glass fiber, metal fiber, Rayon fiber, cuprammonium fiber, soybean fiber, alginate fiber, rubber, cellulose acetate, polyamide, polyester fiber, polypropylene fiber, polyurea fiber, or the combination thereof.

Step S12 is to sputter at least one metal layer 110 on the surface of the non-woven fabric substrate 100 to obtain a complex fabric 120. Sputtering is a kind of physical vapor deposition process, especially to a process whereby atoms or molecules are ejected from a solid target material due to bombardment of the target by energetic particles. The ejected target atoms or molecules are deposited on the non-woven fabric substrate 100 thereby forming the metal layer 110. The metal layer 110 formed by sputtering process has well film adhering ability and has an advantage of low environment pollution comparing to a chemical vapor deposition process.

The metal layer 110 can be adhered on a single surface or opposite surfaces of the non-woven fabric substrate 100. The metal layer 110 can be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure.

The metal layer 110 can be made of single metal or alloy. For example, the material of the metal layer 110 can be selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof.

In other embodiment, the metal target can be replaced with a metal oxide target, thus the metal layer 110 can be replaced with the metal oxide layer. The metal oxide layer can be sputtered on a single surface or opposite surfaces of the non-woven fabric substrate 100. The metal oxide layer on the non-woven fabric substrate 100 can be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. The material of the metal oxide layer can be selected from the group consisting of oxide of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof.

The complex fabric 120 includes the non-woven fabric substrate 100 and the metal layer 110 (or the metal oxide layer) sputtered thereon. The complex fabric 120 having the metal layer 110 or the metal oxide layer can provide the functions of antibacterial, antistatic, increasing blood flow velocity, increasing blood stream, thermal, deodorizing, etc.

In step S14, the complex fabric 120 is carded to obtain a plurality of functional staple fibers 130. The carding process is to break and open the fabric, in which the fabric formed by squeezed fibers can be loosen by needle or comb, and the fibers are sorted. One of the objected to card the complex fabric 120 is breaking, opening, and sorting the non-woven fabric substrate 100, which is made of staple fibers, to obtain the functional staple fibers 130, in which at least a part of the functional staple fibers 130 is adhered with metal layer 110 or the metal oxide layer.

A length of the functional staple fibers 130 is less than 500 mm. The length of the functional staple fibers 130 is preferably between 30 mm to 90 mm. There is at least of the functional staple fibers 130 adhered with the metal layer 110 or the metal oxide layer, so that the functional staple fibers 130 can also provide the functions of antibacterial, antistatic, increasing blood flow velocity, increasing blood stream, thermal, deodorizing, etc.

The metal layer 110 or the metal oxide layer is adhered on the non-woven fabric substrate 100 by a sputtering process, and the complex fabric 120 including the non-woven fabric substrate 100 and the metal layer 110 or the metal oxide layer thereon is carded to obtain the functional staple fibers 130. The method for fabricating the functional staple fibers has advantages of simple process and free of chemical pollution.

In one example, the non-woven fabric substrate 100 with a packing density of 3.11% and the thickness of 1.2 mm or the non-woven fabric substrate 100 with a packing density of 3.24% and the thickness of 1.15 mm can be used in the disclosure for being sputtered. The material of the target can be silver. The sputtering power can be 9 kw. The rate of sputtering the non-woven fabric substrate 100 is about 3-4 meters per minute. Then non-woven fabric substrate 100 is carded under a condition of 0.3 needle pitch, 300 rpm thereby obtaining the functional staple fibers 130 having a length of 2.5 cm to 3.5 cm. The functional staple fibers 130 thereof may have an antibacterial activity of 4.35, and a bactericidal activity of 2.81.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of the invention. The apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber 200 includes a conveying device 210, a sputtering device 220, and a carding device 230. The conveying device 210 is utilized for conveying the non-woven fabric substrate. The conveying device 210 may include a conveying belt and plural rollers and shafts. The conveying device 210 conveys the non-woven fabric substrate into the sputtering device 220. The non-woven fabric substrate can be made of cotton, flax, coconut fiber, wool, camel hair, rabbit hair, silk, asbestos fiber, graphitic fiber, glass fiber, metal fiber, Rayon fiber, cuprammonium fiber, soybean fiber, alginate fiber, rubber, cellulose acetate, polyamide, polyester fiber, polypropylene fiber, polyurea fiber, or the combination thereof.

The sputtering device 220 is utilized for sputtering at least one metal layer or metal oxide layer on the non-woven fabric substrate to obtain a complex fabric disclosed previously. The metal layer or the metal oxide layer can be sputtered on a single surface or opposite surfaces of the non-woven fabric substrate. The material of the metal layer can be selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof. The material of the metal oxide layer can be selected from the group consisting of oxide of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof. The conveying device 210 may further collect and roll the complex fabric to pack the complex fabric.

The complex fabric is further sent to the carding device 230 for being carded. The complex fabric is carded and is transformed into functional staple fibers. The length of the functional staple fiber is less than 300 mm. At least a part of the functional staple fiber would be adhered with the metal layer or the metal oxide layer, so that the functional staple fiber can provide functions of antibacterial, antistatic, increasing blood flow velocity, increasing blood stream, thermal, deodorizing, etc.

The conveying device 210, the sputtering device 220, and the carding device 230 can be integrated as a huge equipment. The sputtering device 220 and the carding device 230 can be respectively located in different working stations or in the same working station.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of different steps of another embodiment of a method for fabricating functional staple fibers of the invention. Step S10 to step S14 is same as previous embodiment. This embodiment further includes step S16, in which the functional staple fibers 130 are blended with a plurality of base fibers 140. The base fiber 140 can be a single kind of the fiber material or a combination of multi kinds of fiber material. The base fibers 140 can be made of cotton, flax, coconut fiber, wool, camel hair, rabbit hair, silk, asbestos fiber, graphitic fiber, glass fiber, metal fiber, Rayon fiber, cuprammonium fiber, soybean fiber, alginate fiber, rubber, cellulose acetate, polyamide, polyester fiber, polypropylene fiber, polyurea fiber, or the combination thereof. After the functional staple fibers 130 are blended with the base fibers 140, a functional yarn 150 is obtained as shown in step S18.

In step S16, the material of the base fibers 140 can be selected according to an end product, such as underwear, outfit, socks, bed sheet, etc. The ratio between the functional staple fibers 130 and the base fibers 140 can also be adjusted according to the requirement of the end product to obtain the functional yarn 150 with predetermined composition and thickness in step S18. The ratio of the functional staple fibers 130 in the functional yarn 150 is preferably more than 0.1% to provide antibacterial function. The functional yarn 150 can further be woven to obtain a functional fabric.

According to the embodiment, the non-woven fabric substrate 100 sputtered with the metal layer 110 or the metal oxide layer is carded to obtain the functional staple fibers 130. The functional staple fibers 130 can be further blended with the base fibers 140 in a predetermined composition, so that the functional yarn 150 thereof can be made according to the end product. The functional yarn 150 can be made flexibly according to the end product, which may widen the utilization field and reduce cost for fabricating the functional yarn 150, thereby varying utilizations of the functional fabric.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of another embodiment of an apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of the invention. The apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber 200 includes the conveying device 210, the sputtering device 220, the carding device 230, and a blending device 240. The blending device 240 is utilized for blending the functional staple fibers with the base fiber to obtain the functional yarn. The composition and the ratio of the base fiber can be selected according to the end product to obtain the customized functional yarn. The functional yarn can be further woven to obtain the functional fabric.

According to above embodiments, the metal layer or the metal oxide layer is sputtered on the non-woven fabric substrate. The metal layer or the metal oxide layer made by sputtering process may have well film adhering ability and would not cause to environment pollution because of free of using chemical agent. The non-woven fabric substrate adhered with the metal layer or the metal oxide layer is carded to obtain functional staple fibers. The functional staple fibers can be optionally blended with the base fibers to obtain the functional yarn, which can be further woven to obtain functional fabric. The composition of the functional yarn can be selected according to the end product thereby increasing the utilization fields and product yield of the functional fabric.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for fabricating functional staple fiber, comprising the steps of: providing a non-woven fabric substrate; sputtering at least one metal layer or at least one metal oxide layer on the non-woven fabric substrate to obtain a complex fabric; and carding the complex fabric to transform the complex fabric into a plurality of functional staple fibers.
 2. The method for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 1, further comprising the step of blending the functional staple fibers with a plurality of base fibers for obtaining a functional yarn.
 3. The method for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 1, wherein a length of the functional staple fibers is less than 500 mm.
 4. The method for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 1, wherein a material of the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof.
 5. The method for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 1, wherein a material of the metal oxide layer is selected from the group consisting of oxide of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof.
 6. The method for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 1, wherein the least one metal layer or the least one metal oxide layer is sputtered on a single surface of the non-woven fabric substrate.
 7. The method for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 1, wherein the least one metal layer or the least one metal oxide layer is sputtered on opposite surfaces of the non-woven fabric substrate.
 8. An apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber, comprising: a conveying device for conveying a non-woven fabric substrate; a sputtering device for sputtering at least one metal layer or at least one metal oxide layer on the non-woven fabric substrate to obtain a complex fabric; and a carding device for carding the complex fabric to transform the complex fabric into a plurality of functional staple fibers.
 9. The apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 8, further comprising a blending device for blending the functional staple fibers with a plurality of base fibers to obtain a functional yarn.
 10. The apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 8, wherein a length of the functional staple fibers is less than 500 mm.
 11. The apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 8, wherein a material of the metal layer is selected from the group consisting of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof.
 12. The apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 8, wherein a material of the metal oxide layer is selected from the group consisting of oxide of Ag, Cu, Cd, Cr, Co, Fe, Zn, Ni, Ti, Al, Au, Pd, Ge, Mn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Ru, Rh, Ga, In, Sn, TI, Pb, Bi, and the combination thereof.
 13. The apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 8, wherein the least one metal layer or the least one metal oxide layer is sputtered on a single surface of the non-woven fabric substrate.
 14. The apparatus for fabricating functional staple fiber of claim 8, wherein the least one metal layer or the least one metal oxide layer is sputtered on opposite surfaces of the non-woven fabric substrate. 